The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-12-01
UNCLE SANS LETTERS.
The Annual Report OF the Post
master General.
Prosperity In Business as Shown by
the malls.
What May be Printed Upon Wrappers
for Mall Matter.

tDe MdtiSs
What May be Printed Upon Wrappers
for Mail Matter.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30.-The report Of
Postmaster General Villas has been issued.
The following is an extract from the report,
which is Of great length:
The Financial Exhibit.
The past four years constitute an interest
ing epoch in the financial history Of the
postal service. The fiscal year 1882 closed
with cash surplus of about 81, 100000; and
the year 1888 increased the amount to nearly
$12.O00OO0 With the single exception Of the
year 1865, there had been an annual def
cheney in the revenues Of the service TO meet
its expenditures for thirty years, sometimes
of large, at others of small sums. Upon the
concurrence of two years Of surplus, the rate
of letter postage was reduced from to
cents, thus striking from the revenue one
third Of its principal supply. This change
took effect on the 1st Of October, 1888, and
was directly operative duriRg but nine
months of the fiscal year 1884. Its effect was
marked, necessarily, and at the end Of the
year the historic deficiency was again re-
stored to the ledger in the sum Of three and
quarter millions. The increase In the en-
ployment of the service expected from
cheapening Of rates did not appear In the
following year; but the revenue continued
to diminish and the expenses to increase SO
that the Both of June. 1885, found balance
80 nao ri 0n0 900 af tho aarvioa N ho
betrayed by the General Treasury. This re-
suit was due, beyond doubt, to the general
business depression prevailing from the
autumn Of 1888 in the financial circles of the
country, and the inference seems fairly In
dicated that the volume Of the mails and the
employment of the postal service depend
less upon the differences in the rates of
postage, when already low, than upon the
condition Of general affairs, by which the
service becomes more or less desirable to
business men. The later results add to the
apparent correctness Of thisdeducti0n.
Notwithstanding the already large de-
fciency, the act OF 1885, which took effect on
the first day Of the fiscal year then approach
ing, imposed two further limitations upon
the sources OF revenue, by doubling the
weight for the single rate Of letter postage,
making the unit an ounce instead Of a half
ounce, and diminishing by one-half the
charge upon newspapers and periodicals,
from cents to 1 cent per pound. The
measure Of money loss Of the former 1t IS
difficult to determine, but has been estimated
as probably from sS00,O0O to 100000; the
loss by the latter is practically calculaDle
sum-about S1,200,000. Contemplating the
consequences Of these limiting changes in
the postage rates, 1t was not anticipated that
a less deficiency than So,0O0O00 would be
found on the Goth of June, 1885, although an
increase in gross receipts sufficient to yield a
total revenue of S44. 100000 was estimated.
The revenue came somewhat short, about
$4,000, Of the latter sum. but the expendi-
lures were found capable OF reduction to
less than the estimated total by so much
that the deficiency, instead Of increasing,
was lessened nearly $4,000, and amounted
only to about S69O0000.
The past fiscal year has been burdened by
no change In the rates Of postage, while the
highly prosperous condition OF business
affairs, giving loose to the enterprise and
activity OF our people. has greatly augment
ed the employment OF the service and i'm
proved its financial aspect, To keep supplied
the rising demands upon it, some increase in
the scale of expenditure has been requisite;
yet the increase in the gross revenues has
gone so far beyond that the year closed with
deficit Of but S4,000000, reducing the pos
tai burden on the general treasury nearly
three-sevenths. May not the hope be fairly
INDUCED that, as the same happy circum-
stances of successful business and profitable
enterprise remain apparently In undimin-
ished vigor. the advantageous disproportlon
in the increasing ratios will continue on the
side of the revenue; so that the Congress, in
prudent forecast and wise employment OF
them, may apply coming gains to the gener-
GUS perfection Of the agencies Of this minis
ter Of universal usefulness?
The cost Of transportation upon the Pacific
railroads, as well as upon the unsubsidized
branches as the subsidized lines, has been
excluded In all these statements, as 1t has
been from the cash accounts OF the service
during former years because, nOtwithstand-
ing the difference determined by the SUI
preme Court, the Congress has hitherto re-
fused appropriation of money on this ac-
count, and no payments have therefore been
made.
The several sums earned by the Pacific
railroad companies on unsubsidized roads.
and not included in the cash expendi-
lures because not dIsbursed. were respect
lively In the following years, as follows: In
s00.73: 1885, S247. 1904; 1886, S25i, ,lOl.61;
1887, S295, 5,571.59.
THE REVENUE
of the past year enjoyed its chief increase
from the sale of stamps and slammed paper,
In which the gain was S4,223, ,ss7.96, more
than 10 per cent. This item had the advan-
tage of the estimated amount of s122.0O0
arising from the sales Of special delivery
stamps, of which one-ffth only is the share
remaining after the allowance for delivery
is made; and it was doubtless aug
uented by the operation of the order made
in 1886 admitting to the mail fluids, pastes,
and powders, formerly excluded. but which,
by reason of improved modes Of packing of
recent invention, may now be safely car
ried. There was also gain of nearly 10 per
cent. In the sale OF newspaper and perl0di-
cal stamps, over per cent better than the
general rate of increase. The main cause,
however, was the activity OF business and
the large gain is a pleasing testimony both to
its fiouris6ing condition and TO the useful
ness of the service as its auxiliary.
The revenue from the money order buSi-
ness is nominally more than doubled; but
this is only an apparent, not real gain, AMI
is due wholly to the fact that clerical service
in postlOffices on money order account was,
under the act of 1886, charged last year to
the appropriation for clerk hire in post offices
instead of deducted from the money order
proceeds. There was in fact diminished
money order revenue, the consequence of the
reduction in the rates charged for interna-
tional orders and for domestic orders Of So
or less. The item of box rents shows the
substantial increase of $40, ,451.95, and the
receipts for mails carried for foreign coun-
tries rose about IS per cent. Every avenue
of revenue gain was manlfestly quickened,
the miscellaneous receipts being more than
trebled.
THE EXPENDITURES.
show an apparently rising percentage Of 34,
which. although but one-half the average of
the six years ended June 30, 1895, which was
6.s per cent, yet exceeds the ratio Of increase
in 1886, which was but &c per cent. In fact,
however, there was little. II any, addition to
the ratio of growing expenses, because the
item Of clerk hire for money order business.
amounting to over 100000, which in 1886 and
and previous years was deducted from the
money order proceeds, the lact Of Congress
mentioned transferred last year to the other
side of the account, and because the sum Of
so, ,726.42, allowed out Of the receipts Tor
special delivery business Is entered as an ex-
penditure of the service, insteadOf being de-
Quoted from such receipts, course pursued
as the more convenient method OF keeping
the accounts.
Making these allowances II will be seen
that the service of the year has been as econ
omically carried on as during the preceding
and Is entitled TO as favorable consideration
in comparison with the several years before.
This Is Of consequence in estimating the
probable results Of the current and coming
year.
THE APPROPRIATION FOR PosrMAsrERs'